Companies will always break the law, if the cost of paying for litigation and penalties (whether financial or reputation) is less than the profit they stand to

Companies will always break the law, if the cost of paying for litigation and penalties (whether financial or reputation) is less than the profit they stand to make. Regulations also need to have consequences and enforcement, but the companies can lobby to reduce or eliminate those elements when politicians are drafting new regulations. I think the general public believes that simply making it illegal will be sufficient; it is not, but that perception is what permits corporations to get away with this kind of political tampering.